With the unannounced return of a voice actor in the final part of the “Mononoke” trilogy, the production team sparked a controversy in Japan. Now producer Kenji Yamamoto is drawing personal consequences.
Producer takes responsibility
In a detailed statement, Yamamoto explained that he took responsibility for the criticism surrounding the casting of Takahiro Sakurai, who also lends his voice to Giyuu Tomioka in “Demon Slayer.”
The voice actor had already voiced the “Mononoke” protagonist Kusuriuri in the original series from 2007, but was removed from the film project in 2022 after reports of an extramarital affair.
Hiroshi Kamiya (Levi from “Attack on Titan”) was actually hired as the new lead voice for the screen spin-off. The surprise of many viewers was all the greater when Sakurai took on the role of the medicine seller Kusuriuri again in the third film “The Curse of the Serpent”.
What was particularly criticized in this context was the fact that Sakurai’s involvement was kept secret until the film’s release on May 29, 2026.
Surprise appearance caused criticism
Yamamoto confirmed that Sakurai’s involvement was deliberately not communicated in advance. The aim was to stage his appearance as a surprise. Looking back, however, the audience’s reactions were misjudged.
He explained that the decision to recast Sakurai was made after intensive creative discussions about the story’s conclusion.
Although the production team considered various options, they ultimately concluded that the return of the original medicine seller was the most appropriate choice for the finale.
The producer also clarified that both the decision to remove Sakurai from the project and his subsequent return were his alone. Other people involved in the production were not involved.
Withdrawal after the controversy
However, Yamamoto now admitted that this was a mistake and that some viewers were deprived of the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they wanted to see the film under these circumstances.
At the end of his statement, Yamamoto apologized to fans and the production team. At the same time, he announced that he would withdraw completely from the producer business as a result of the controversy.
The first two “Mononoke” films “The Phantom in the Rain” and “The Ashes of Rage” are available on Netflix in this country. It is currently unclear whether the third film will also appear there.
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